


Flying Home For The Holidays

by elysianaurora



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Christmas, Co-workers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Idk what else to tag because i suck at this, M/M, Publisher!Ian, Publisher!Mickey, Rivals, Smut, The Gallagher siblings have kids, in freaking February, travelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:29:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29255244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elysianaurora/pseuds/elysianaurora
Summary: After many busy Chistmases spent working in New York, Ian Gallagher has finally decided to return home to Chicago to spend the Holidays with his family. Mickey hasn’t been back to Chicago in more than three years but when his sister calls to announce her engagement he finds himself on route to spend the holidays with her and her future inlaws. Ian’s a bit flustered because he doesn’t exactly enjoy flying, Mickey is anxious about heading back home. To top all things off Ian and Mickey find themselves on a four hour flight seated beside the one coworker they hate the most, each other.
Relationships: Fiona Gallagher/Original Male Character(s), Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Lip Gallagher/Mandy Milkovich
Comments: 7
Kudos: 41





	1. "The Incident"

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this story since Christmas 2019 and I always intend on posting it for the holidays like a 12 days of Christmas thing because I think it would be so fun but I just never get around to doing because my finals always end up really close to Christmas and then holidays in itself is so damn hectic. With shameless coming to an end this year, and the fear that fanfictions are going to phase out by Christmas 2021 I'm posting this at such an untimely moment. 
> 
> However, I do hope you still feel the Christmas spirit and cheer when reading this and it creates a lovely escape from your hectic lives. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I do writing it. I'm not entirely sure yet how long it's going to be but I'm happy to have you along for the ride. 
> 
> Dedicated to my two best friends who are always there for me through hell or high waters, Love you.

It was already dark out when he decided to call it a day, but that wasn’t anything unusual for Ian Gallagher. He was used to working for too many gruelling hours and that day was like no other, even though he had a plane to catch the next morning. He looked out the floor to ceiling windows that cover the two walls of his corner office. The view of the city still took his breath away even though he had that office for more than three years at that point. The one hundred feet Christmas tree standing tall at Rockefeller Centre was glistening amongst the city lights and Ian found the corners of his lips curling up. This was his fucking life now. If only the twelve year old him in his ratty hand-me-downs and freckled face running through the Southside of Chicago with a battered baseball bat could see him. 

He’d never planned to be where he was but he was damn grateful for his life either way. He looked around his office space that he wouldn’t see for the next three weeks and smiled, he smiled at all the covers of the books he’d published that adorned the wall behind his desk. As vain as he sounded, he was really fucking proud of how much he had accomplished despite the many set backs he had faced. There was a time when he was seventeen years old and he had thought that his life was royally fucked after 72 hours in an in-patient facility, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and the prospect that he’d be taking those pills for the next 40-50 years. He sighed contentedly, shutting his laptop and packing his desk neatly the way he always did before leaving the office. 

Although this would be the first Christmas in four years since he’s been home, he was glad for the change and the thought of going home to see his many siblings and all their little families was something he looked forward to and knew he’d put it off for way too long. He shut his office door and made sure it was locked before heading toward the elevators. Daisy, the receptionist, was still sitting at her desk filing away anything important for when everyone would return to the office after Christmas.

“Ian, I had no clue you were still here. Heading home I see?” She smiled brightly at him as she reached over mindlessly to fix an ornament on her table top tree.

“Yes, I’m finally heading out. Just wanted to be sure I had everything in order before I go. First real holiday I’m taking in a long time.” he placed his bag onto the reception desk smiling down at her.

“Don’t I know it. You work more than any of us around here.” 

“Now that’s just an outright fucking lie.” Another voice rang out through the quiet office space. Ian’s eyes immediately rolled back at the voice and language because there was only one prick Ian knew who spoke like that. Mickey Fucking Milkovich. Ian didn’t know what it was about the guy but he hated him. From the moment Mickey walked into the office three years before like he fucking owned the place, Ian had known the man would irritate him to no end. Mickey was good at his job and boy did he know it because he flaunted it, he held his head high and he was shamelessly and unapologetically himself. And Ian liked a real person as much as anyone but not when the said person was always trying to steal his authors and editors out from under him. Everyone in the company had been frustrated and done with Mickey and Ian’s rivalry after pointless efforts to remind each other that they both worked for the same company and their work wasn’t a competition.

“Milkovich,” he greeted sourly looking up at the man who looked more casual than he usually did with his suit jacket and tie missing and his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows. 

“Gallagher, what you doing going around telling people dumb shit like you work harder than everyone else for?” he was antagonising in every word he said, and he knew just how to push at Ian’s buttons. 

“Oh, come on Mickey, don’t start.” Daisy chastised in her sickenly sweet voice, “Let the man go into his vacation time with a happy mind and not you pestering him.”

“Vacation? Finally found some sad fuck who wants to spend the holidays with you?” Mickey pushed, “I mean you’re always here at who the fuck knows whatever hour.”

Ian snorted feeling his blood rise in a way only this guy could make it rise. He picked up his bag and slung it onto his shoulder, “Last I checked Mickey, you’re still here too,” Ian sighed tiredly, “Enjoy your holidays Daisy. Mickey, go fuck yourself.”

“Merry Fucking Christmas, Gallgher.” Ian heard as he turned on his heels heading toward the elevator. He threw up a middle finger before walking to the metal doors that opened just as he pushed the call button. In the first few years that Mickey and Ian had started working together they rivaled and annoyed each to no end purposely but recently Ian had been feeling a lack of interest in engaging with Mickey’s shenanigans. The brunette man only seemed to enjoy pissing Ian off and Ian just didn’t feel like he had the energy to put in the time and effort to get back at him.

His drive home was as quiet as it always was, as he didn’t turn the radio on. He needed to unwind after the stressful week he had and he needed to get his head in the right frame of mind to return to Chicago. He felt his heart quicken a bit at the reminder that he’d be boarding a plane in a few short hours. He took a deep breath in and reminded himself that he still had time and he’d deal with that hurdle when he came to it. Ian simply didn’t enjoy flying. It ruffled his feathers and instilled fear in him and he knew it was one of the main reasons he didn’t fly home as often as he might like to.

When he got into his studio apartment he hung his coat up and kicked his shoes off before venturing further into the apartment. While loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt he hit the button to play his voice messages before heading to the fridge for a cold beer. His sister’s loud excited voice rang through his apartment through the speaker.

_ Hey, sweetface! Just calling to see how you’re handling things. If you’re feeling okay about travelling. We’re super excited to see you. Give me a call when you get home. Love you. _

Ian plopped down onto his lumpy couch as he dialled his sister’s number after taking a long sip of his beer. 

“ _ Hello? _ ”

“Hey Fi, I just got in. Sorry I missed your call earlier.”

“ _ Oh, hey, Ian. How are you feeling? Danny kept bugging me to call you but he’s gone to bed already. I guess you’ll just see him tomorrow. I’m so happy you’re finally coming home for the holidays. _ ” Ian couldn’t help but smile at the thought of his four year old nephew, Danny pestering his mother to call.

“Yeah. I’m really glad too. Everything’s gonna be different now though, huh?”

“ _ Yeah. I kind of wish I could host Christmas this year but Lip wants to do it. What with the engagement this year and all. His house is bigger anyways, you know? No one will have to sleep on the couch like they would have to here. _ ”

“I’m excited to see you Fi. So I’m guessing Lip’s fiancée’s going to be there?”

“ _ Well, they live together now, so yeah. I heard her brother might be coming too, but as far as I’ve heard she and her family aren’t really the close type. It’ll be fine. _ ”

“Yeah, I don’t doubt it. Look, I think I’m just gonna crash for the night. I gotta be up early for my flight.”

“ _ Okay, goodnight. Fly safe. I love you. _ ”

“Love you too.”

***

The sickenly jolly christmas carols that was humming through the office late at night was what had yanked Mickey out of his concentration making him venture out of his office into the bullpen to see who the fuck was still in the buidling. If Mickey had someone to bet with, his money would be on that fucking social butterfly who was always laughing like the sun shone out of her ass.  _ Fucking Lily...no Rose...fuck that’s not it. She’s named after a flower that’s all he knows.  _ When Mickey stepped out of his office he could hear the soft murmurs of a conversation and it was only when he drew closer he recognized the voice. Fucking Ian Gallagher.

“Don’t I know it. You work more than any of us around here.” Daisy sang and Mickey could just hear the smile in her voice even if he couldn’t see her yet and he can almost imagine her batting her eyelashes. 

Before he could stop himself he rounded the corner bellowing out, “Now that’s just an outright fucking lie.”

Mickey doesn’t know what it is about Ian Gallagher. Maybe it’s his outrageously red hair and overly freckled face, or the fact that he’s just irritating as all fuck. All Mickey can say is he fucking hated the guy. Mickey had worked his way up to publisher after busting his ass through highschool and his Associates Degree. He’d worked long grueling hours at his old firm until he finally got where he wanted to be. When he’d gotten the job offer three years before to switch firms and work more independently under some of the most well known names in New York, he’d jumped at the offer, even if it meant he had to work hundreds of miles from home. Heck, he actually welcomed that factor. Mickey was all but ready to get the fuck out of Chicago and he was all well and fine with never returning. Of course his little sister kicked a fuss but she hadn’t actually convinced him to visit in the three years he’d been in the big apple. 

When Mickey walked into the office on his first day, that was when his whole rival started with Ian. He likes to refer to it as “the incident”. His supervisor Carol had dropped a couple scripts on his desk the moment she showed him to his office and told him to choose the script he wanted to work on first. Mickey had spent the hours that followed pouring over those words, trying his best to choose the novel that would be an astounding first piece. When he’d finally chosen his pick and headed into Carol’s office with excitement all over his face, he was immediately shut down, “I’m so sorry Mickey, Ian just left my office asking me for this script and I promised it to him. How about you chose another and we can go from there.” 

Mickey was seething and he’d decided from that moment he hated Ian and that he’d be nothing short of an absolute man-bitch to him. 

“Milkovich,” Ian’s voice was tight and stern like it usually was when they interacted but Mickey couldn’t give a flying fuck. He floated through the rest of the conversation wondering how the fuck his sister Mandy had been swooning over Ian when she had visited two years prior. She had gotten a glimpse of him when she came to grab Mickey for lunch and couldn’t stop gushing about how hot the redhead across the hall was from Mickey.

Mickey refused to look at anything other than Ian’s stuck-up attitude and the fact that he stole scripts from under Mickey’s nose.

When Mickey got home to his studio apartment that night, he was looking forward to just kicking back in nothing but his underwear with an ice cold beer in one hand and the TV remote in the other. So you can imagine that when his cell phone started ringing loudly how annoyed he became.  _ Mandy. _

“The fuck do you want?” he groaned.

“ _ Happy holidays to you too douchebag. Just calling to find out if you’re all packed. _ ” 

“All packed for what?” Mickey asked, hardly paying attention to her.

“ _ Don’t fucking tell me you forgot. Mickey! You promised you wouldn’t forget. Do you even know what date today is? Did you forget you have a goddamn flight in the morning?! You fucking promised me. This is gonna look so bad on me if you don’t show up, I want you to meet my fiancé, Mickey. _ ” Mickey had sat up through her rant shaking off his sleepy haze at the realisation that he did in fact forget he had a flight.

“Shit. Sorry Mandy. I’ve just been working a lot and forgot. Don’t worry, okay? I already booked the flight, I just gotta go pack.”

“ _ You’re such an idiot sometimes. I’ll see you when you get here tomorrow then. Everyone is looking forward to meeting you. _ ”

“Yeah...I bet. Look if I’m gonna get on this dumbass flight to Chicago in a couple hours I better go pack. I’ll see you when I see you.”

“ _ Okay. Safe flight. Don’t die. _ ”


	2. Lover's Quarrell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey knew he was being annoying as all fuck. He specifically turned the volume up on his phone and proceeded to play that stupid candy crush game. He was never one for these kinds of time fillers but anything to piss the redhead off was good with Mickey. He didn’t know what it was about irritating Ian, but he felt oddly satisfied when he saw the Ginger’s chin jot out and his ears grow redder, that’s when Mickey knew he'd really done it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hope you all are enjoying this story so far. I'm not sure how long it's going to be but I hope it's at a good pace and keeping you entertained. 
> 
> Have a lovely weekend and stay safe.

Ian was absolutely fucking nervous for his flight. It wasn’t often he travelled and he knew exactly why. He just didn’t fucking fly well. Be it a combination of his anxiety and paranoia that accompanied his diagnosis of bipolar disorder, or the fact that planes were just really damn terrifying, he found that putting himself through the stress usually wasn’t worth it. But he hadn’t been home in three years and Lip was now fucking engaged and Ian knew he could’t keep avoiding it anymore. He didn’t feel any better when he woke up late that morning and saw that there was a possible snow storm that could intercept his flight. All in all the morning wasn’t going all that great. But after a much needed and encouraging phone call with Fiona, his little brother Liam and his nephew Danny, Ian found himself a couple hours later at the security checkpoint getting ready to board his plane. 

His plan was to just get on the plane take an Ativan and chill the fuck out until touchdown four hours later in Chicago. Well, a possible five according to the stewardess who took his documents because of the inclement weather. By the time he got on the plane and was headed to his seat he could feel the slight tremor in his fingers and the growing lump in his throat.

_ It’ll be fine sweetface. It’s only a couple hours. You’ll be here in no time.  _ He kept replaying Fiona’s voice and words in his mind trying to focus and make himself feel the slightest bit okay so he can just get to his fucking seat, take his pills and relax the fuck out of that flight.

“Any help finding your seat, Sir?” a young attendant smiled with him

“Uh, sure, 23B,”

“Oh right in this aisle sir, two seats over.” she pointed him toward his seat.

“Thank you.”

As he shuffled toward his seat he could already see his seatmate looking out the window, Ian approached the brunette, before he looked down, pushing at the handle of his travel on. “No fucking way.” the minute he heard that voice Ian looked up to see one Mickey Milkovich sitting next to his empty seat.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to take your seat.” the attendant standing behind him said.

“I’m sorry, I can’t sit here, is there any other available seat?” Ian asked evidently ruffled by the presence of his coworker. What were the fucking odds that Ian would be seated next to the most annoying human he knew existed.

“Sir, there are no available seats, you need to sit down.” Ian huffed as he picked his luggage off the floor and moved closer to Mickey to gain access to the overhead storage, being sure to give Mickey a suitcase wheel to the head as he tried to get it up there alongside Mickey’s own bag. “OW! What the fuck man!” Mickey exclaimed.

After successfully fitting his luggage alongside what he assumed was Mickey’s, and hitting Mickey a couple times in the head, he finally sat down. He was annoyed to say the least. The morning was already shit, he didn’t want to be flying but his car wouldn’t make the drive all the way to Chicago in time and despite all that was seeming to be wrong at that moment, the universe decided to seat him next to Mickey Milkovich. 

Ian had decided that his best course of action would be to actively ignore the other man and make himself comfortable. He popped his Ativan and sat back in his seat trying to steady his breath and not focus on the fact that the plane would be taking off in a few short moments. He said a prayer even though he didn’t believe in God. He gripped tightly into his arm rest and tried to focus on the words being said over the PA system. He could do this, if he just focused on the sound of the stewardess and the memory of his sister’s voice he’d be fine. 

He could feel the heat of Mickey beside him and he could hear the muttered curses while the plane took off but Ian refused to open his eyes. He kept them close until the shaking and tumbling had evened out and the plane was steadily flying in the sky. He wasn’t going to acknowledge the other man. It’ll only send his blood pressure up and he didn’t need that. Not right now.

***

Mickey fucking hated Christmas. He didn’t see the point in celebrating it when he lived alone and the holiday itself held no good memories for him. He just didn’t do Christmas because it reminded him too much of his mom. And Mickey didn’t like thinking about her. If Mandy had invited him any other year he’d have declined like he had done three years in the past. But this time was different. This time she was engaged and it wasn’t to some shitty guy who smacked her around or treated her like dog shit at the bottom of their shoe. Apparently this guy really made her feel special or some shit like that. The most important thing about the guy to Mickey was that he didn’t hit Mandy and he made her happy. 

He was proud of his sister for beating the odds all while staying in the shitty south side. Well, she wasn’t living there anymore but she’d managed to go to nursing school and keep her nose out of trouble long enough to meet this guy who was also a southside success story. He doesn’t even know the guys fucking name but he knows he’s some big shot robotics professor at the University of Chicago and he and Mandy live in a nice Northside house that they both bought a month ago. He’s proud and he’s happy for her and that’s the only reason he was sucking up his shitty feelings toward Christmas and heading back to Chicago.

When he got seated for the flight, he was so caught up in his steaming aggression for the holidays, internally ranting about all the red and glitter and fucking carols, that he hardly paid mind to the people filing into the plane and taking their seats. That was until someone stopped just beside him and was preparing to lug their bags up to the overhead storage. He ripped his eyes from the early morning sunrise to find none other than Ian Gallagher in the most casual attire Mickey had ever seen him in unaware of his presence. “No fucking way!” 

Intense green eyes snapped up from the bag and locked on him and Mickey could see Ian tense up and his anger flared up. He smirked inwardly. He barely listened as Ian argued with the stewardess to switch seats, taking in the sight of Ian in his Nike track pants and an oversized grey hoodie. He’d only been accustomed to seeing the redhead in fitted well-tailored suits with not a hair out of place. This Ian looked uneasy and annoyed and Mickey couldn’t pay anymore mind to the annoyance that was the other man. He turned away and looked out the window vaguely aware of Ian conceding and lifting his luggage to store it away. It wasn’t until he collected at least three lashes to the head from that fucking sutcase wheel did he turn toward Ian with a glare and loud what the fuck, before huffing in annoyance. Ian seemed to be in his own head though and paid no more attention to Mickey whatsoever. In fact he looked to be on the verge of a breakdown if Mickey knew any better. He rolled his eyes at Ian’s dramatics and turned away once again. 

At least he got some entertainment for the flight back “home”. He was going to irritate the living hell out of Ian and he was damn well going to enjoy every minute of doing so. 

***

Mickey knew he was being annoying as all fuck. He specifically turned the volume up on his phone and proceeded to play that stupid candy crush game. He was never one for these kinds of time fillers but anything to piss the redhead off was good with Mickey. He didn’t know what it was about irritating Ian, but he felt oddly satisfied when he saw the Ginger’s chin jot out and his ears grow redder, that’s when Mickey knew he'd really done it. He continued popping and bursting the little candies well aware that Ian’s patience was waning thin. His coworker had placed headphones into his ears but Mickey could tell there was nothing playing. It was the dumb fuck’s fault for not putting on some music if he so badly wanted to drown the sounds of the game out. 

About fifteen minutes into a really hard fucking level that Mickey kept dying at, he decided it would be the idea time to go take a wizz. “Move your fucking giraffe legs,” He said gruffly.

Ian’s eyes fluttered open as he gave Mickey one exaggerated eye roll, “Seriously? You just went in there like twenty minutes ago.” 

“Yeah well I gotta go again.” Mickey smirked as Ian huffed loudly before pulling his feet up and giving Mickey a hard glare. The Milkovich man made it his every intention to take as long as he possibly could before heading to the airline toilets that he most definitely did not need to use.

  
  


***

Ian watched as the black haired man walked away toward to the toilets, glaring intensely at his head, “Lover’s quarrel?” The man beside Ian piped in.

“What?” Ian furrowed his brow in confusion. 

“Your guy that just went to the restrooms. You’re looking at him with that hate lovers have when they fight but still you could see the love or lust there.”

“What the fuck? No, he’s just my coworker. We hardly know each other.” 

The guy nonchalantly shrugged, “Hmm, could have had me fooled.” 

Ian turned away being sure to ignore that ass hat just as much as he had been trying to ignore Mickey. But Mickey Milkovich was one persistent motherfucker and once he’d made his mind up that he’d annoy Ian to the ends of the earth, Ian knew he wasn’t going to have a peaceful moment on this plane. He pulled his laptop out of the case that sat on his lap and opened it to check his emails and try to focus on anything but this clusterfuck of a situation. 

He answered a few from his assistant who assured him everything would be under control until his return the next month. Just as he was about to click out of his inbox he saw a new email appear at the top of the list. He smiled when he saw it was from “Phillip Gallagher”. God, he really missed his family even though he tried to convince himself that the distance didn’t have an effect on him. He clicked the message open and immediately noticed the video file that was sent. As he plugged his headphones into the laptop he noticed Mickey smugly waltzing down the aisle between the seats. “Excuse me.” He obnoxiously sang as he skirted his way past Ian knocking the laptop with his ass before sitting back down, “my bad,” he sarcastically said. 

Ian rolled his eyes as he clicked play and tried to ignore the stewardess handing Mickey a bottled water over his head. Ian involuntarily found himself smiling as the video opened out to his big brother sitting on the couch with Liam in his lap as they both smiled at the camera. “Say hi Liam, it’s recording.”

“Hi Ian. FiFi says you’re coming home!” He cheered, “I miss you. I bought you a Christmas present. You’re gonna love it.” Before Lip could prompt the seven year old boy to say anything further he ran off probably somewhere to play. “Hey, Liam wanted to send a video. He’s really excited to see you, hasn’t stopped talking about it since Fiona told him. Anyways we love and miss you and can’t wait to see you when you get here. Be safe and uh...try to relax a little. I know flying can be shit but you’ve done it before.” Lip smiled and was reaching to take the camera off when a female voice spoke behind the camera, “Yeah, you can come say hi.” Lip smiled at whoever was standing close by. 

A black haired girl came into view sitting beside Lip. She was gorgeous and vaguely familiar. Her stark black hair was pulled into a messy bun and the shiny nose ring glistened under the fluorescent lights. She grinned showing a set of pearly whites that complimented her pale skin. “Hi, guess we’re finally going to meet huh? Well I look forward to spending the holidays with you. By the way my name is Ma-”

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Just then Ian felt as well as saw the spray of water that soaked his left side and part of his laptop screen as his seatmate most definitely did a spit take. 

“What the fuck Mickey?” Ian wiped at the screen with the end of his hoodie glaring over that the black haired man to only to meet a pair of stunned blue eyes, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Uh uh, that’s the not question here.” he stuck a tattooed finger toward Ian’s laptop screen, “The question is how the fuck do you know my sister?”


End file.
